Message in a Bottle
by Nara Zantos
Summary: AU. Don't you think message in a bottle is really romantic? If you do find one, would you actually pick it up? If you do and there is a message, will you read it? Once you read it, will you reply to the writer? Can something come out of it? Read on to find out.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** AU. This is a work of fanfiction. Businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. I do not own any of the characters from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha.

PS: Mehere was not free to help me proof read my story hence please excuse my grammar mistakes etc. Hope you will still enjoy the story tho.

* * *

 **Prologue**

"Are you really sure about this?" Fate asked her good friend.

"Of course! Come on, it will be fun!" Hayate encouraged.

"What if someone weird picks it up?" Fate asked once again.

"Tell you what, let's set up a dummy email account and then you can write the address on it." Hayate suggested and pulled out her smartphone.

"I don't even have a clue of what email address to create when you put me on the spot like this..." Fate grumbled.

"I'll handle that aspect then." Hayate replied with a bright smile.

"It's so you to do spontaneous stuff but this is a different level. I really don't know how you talk me into this..." Fate complained.

Once Hayate created a dummy email account, she showed Fate the email address with a cheesy smile and all Fate could do was to shake her head in response.

"I'm just helping my best friend fulfil her Birthday wish!" Hayate replied as she half hugged her best friend by putting her arm across Fate's shoulder for encouragement.

"Sigh. Well, I just hope we are not courting trouble with this!" Fate replied as she sealed the message in the bottle.

"I'll race you to the deck!" Hayate said excitedly as she jumped off the bed and headed for the door.

Once they are on the deck, Fate tried talking her friend out of this idea again. "I still think it's a bad idea. Who knows where it will end up and if it would actually get picked up. We don't even know where we are." Fate cautioned.

"That's the fun part! It's the last night of the cruise trip so we should be near Japan water." Hayate replied cheerfully.

"Worse! Who knows who will actually pick it up?" Fate replied.

"Well, if anything goes wrong, we'll just let Signum take heat." Hayate replied after giving a second of thought.

"With all the trouble you mischievous takuni creates, it's a miracle that your cousins still loves you." Fate resigns as she shook her head.

"It's because I'm irresistible." Hayate laughed.

"Here goes nothing!" Fate whispered as she chucks the message in a bottle into the open sea.

"Happy 15th Birthday, Fate-chan. May your wish come true." Hayate wished as she gave Fate a Birthday hug.

 **Chapter 1**

During their high school school trip to Okinawa, Nanoha was playing ball with her friends by the water.

While playing, something in the water caught her attention as the sun reflected off it. Nanoha got distracted and missed the pass, and the ball flew into the water. She apologised and went into the water to retrieve the ball.

On her way back to shore, something floated near her. Curious of the culprit that caused her to miss the pass, she swam closer to the object. After retrieving both, she headed back to her friends.

"Nanoha-chan, what did you picked up from the sea?" Suzuka asked.

Suzuka is one of Nanoha's best friends. Suzuka Tsukimura and Alisa Bannings are multimillionaire. Nanoha met both of them from Seishou Elementary School that she attended.

It all started with a fight. Arisa was bullying Suzuka for unknown reasons. Nanoha couldn't over look this and stepped in. She slapped Alisa hard across the cheek. Suzuka stepped in and mitigated the quarrel. They managed to talk it out in the end and they became best friends.

Later in life, Alisa became Suzuka's girlfriend. Alisa must have been attracted to her in a way and acted out as she was too young to understand her feelings. They managed to ironed it out in the end and unsurprisingly, Suzuka was the one who took the first step. They have been together since second year of middle school.

"Must be trash. You should just chuck it into the bin." Alisa brushed off.

-0-

"It seems like there's a message in a bottle." Nanoha replied.

After using the sand and sea water to wash the bottle, Nanoha confirmed, "It is a message in the bottle. Don't you think it's romantic?"

"It sure is." Suzuka agreed.

"I reckon you should just leave it or chuck it. You'll never know, it might be cursed." Alisa warned.

"I didn't know that my baby believe in such things." Suzuka teased.

"What should I do? Should I open it or not?" Nanoha asked.

"I vote to open it." Suzuka supported.

"I vote to chuck it" Alisa voiced.

"Ah dear... where's the romance? I know you can do better than that... Remember that time for our anniversary last year..." Suzuka teased.

Blush flooded Alisa's face while she was waving her hands around to stop her lover, saying in a panic, "Ahh... Stop stop stop stop! Please don't finish that sentence. I change my vote. I change my vote. Let's open it!"

Both Suzuka and Nanoha just laughed at the blond.

"That's my girl." Suzuka said softly as she gave her blond a kiss on the cheek.

They gathered around on the sand as Nanoha uncorked the bottle. "Let's see what it says..." Nanoha said.

 _"Hi. Thank you for picking up this bottle and reading this message.  
My name is Fate. I don't know how my friend managed to talk me into this, but I am looking for a pen pal, a friend.  
And ironically, I am leaving it up to fate's hand. (Pun intended)  
Please write back if possible. Looking forward to hear from you, whoever you may be, unless you are a creepy internet guy or a killer.  
My email address is fatedmessages "_

"So? Are you going to contact this _Fate of yours_?" Suzuka asked.

"I don't know. What if that person is a psychopath? Who sends out a message in a bottle to find a pen pal? It's romantic yet scary." Nanoha replied.

"Even if you are, at least use a dummy email account. I still reckon it's a scam of some sort." Alisa warned.

"Perhaps you just need to take a leap of faith. Sometimes, that's all it takes…" Suzuka added as she looked dearly at Alisa.

"I'll think about it..." Nanoha replied.

"When you do, please let us know the results. You will tell us, right?" Suzuka smiled with a hidden warning.

"Of... of course I will." Nanoha stammered.

In the end, Nanoha kept the bottle and the message but she did not reach out to the writer.

-0-

Months later, due to family obligations, Alisa had to move overseas and Suzuka followed. They were worried about her but Nanoha assured her that she will be fine.

Nanoha was really sad and kept to herself after that. She kept in video contact with them.

Nanoha is a loner in school, an outcast due to her past, and seeing that her protectors aka Alisa and Suzuka are no longer around, the vultures homed in. Nanoha was receiving threats and name calling every other week.

By the end of the year, she really didn't know who she could talk to. She didn't tell any of her family or friends on what she was facing in school as she didn't want them to worry even more.

Staring at the glass bottle on her desk, she thought to herself, 'why not!'

Nanoha switched on her computer to set up a dummy email account first. Alisa would kill her if she had used her personal account. She then took the leap of faith and contacted this _Fate_. She wasn't expecting a reply. She hoped she would get one but she didn't believe she would anyway.

'It's just like chatting with a random person on the net, right?' Nanoha thought to reassure herself.

-0-

On the other end, a buzz from her phone alerted Fate of an incoming message.

Fate was thinking that it has to be from Hayate and cursed silently. 'What does she wants now? Have she finished packing her stuff already?' Both families are busy packing as they are scheduled to move to Uminari City the day after.

To her surprise, the email message is from her dummy account, the one that she has given up hope on!

"What should I do? What should I do?" Fate mumbled as she panicked.

She was pacing around the room for a good few minutes before she decided to check the message.

 _"Hi Fate, I am writing in response to your message.  
I've picked up your bottle from Okinawa water Japan.  
I wondered how far did the bottle travelled to reach there? What year was the message written? Keen to find out more.  
PS: I am no creepy internet guy nor a killer. Regards, Machi."_

 _"Hi Machi, thank you for replying to my message.  
I never thought that the message would actually make it somewhere. I really had my doubts.  
It is a very pleasant surprise compared to what I'm doing right this moment.  
Don't worry, I'm not killing someone and cutting them into pieces to fit them into a bag. Just kidding.  
Really hope you are not some creepy internet guy or a killer too. I didn't know how my friend got me to do this. I am just purely reaching out to someone to chat with.  
The message was written in April 2016. It's December 2017 now so it took well over a year to be found.  
Glad that you've picked it up. Hope to hear back from you soon. Regards, Fate."_

 _-0-_

Nanoha was shocked when she saw a reply this quickly. She wondered if she should carry on with it or not. Switching over to her phone, she brought it to bed with her.

 _"Hi Fate, that was some dark humour there.  
Should I be worried? Are you like in a bunker down in some basement? Haha.  
I wasn't expecting a reply so soon. I seriously thought it was a prank or scam. One of my best friend believes it is. Still can't rule that out, can I?  
What are you doing at the moment that is way more boring than chatting with a super random stranger through email? ~Machi"_

 _"Hi Machi, I'm packing the house as we are scheduled to move the day after. Crazy times.  
And my best friend's family is moving too.  
She's my best friend but gosh she's a slippery one.  
Somehow she managed to rope me into doing her packing and now I am stuck with mine alone. Best *friend indeed. ~Fate"_

And this chat went on as the days passes by. They became online pen pals quickly.

Both were there to support and encourage each other. Both understood that they had to be cautious about what they reveal but somehow they believe that they could trust each other.

They began to share a bit more about their life and situations without going into details such as real names and locations etc.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** AU. This is a work of fanfiction. Businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. I do not own any of the characters from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha.

PS: Mehere was not free to help me proof read my story hence please excuse my grammar mistakes etc. Hope you will still enjoy the story tho.

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

Starting third year of high school was going to suck big time for Nanoha. 'Yay, I'm back with my old classmates, with all the people who hate me.' Nanoha thought as she sighs, resigning to her fate of being alone.

She misses both her best friends dearly.

'Well, at least _Fate_ will be there when I get home.' Nanoha thought to herself. Somehow, the though had just cheered her up a little.

The teacher came in and started the first homeroom of the year by announcing that there will be two new students joining the class for this year.

"Alright people, settle down. I hope that everyone had a good break. Before I go on any further, I'm please to announce that we have two new students joining us. Come on in girls." Carim announced.

Nanoha heard the excitement from her classmates but she can't be bothered. She rather watches the sky and thinks about topics she could converse with _Fate_.

Nanoha hope that this year would pass by quickly and with least amount of trouble. She can then leave this city and start over again on her own.

-0-

"Hi everyone, my name is Yagami Hayate, and this is my best friend Fate Harlaown. Our families are very close and we pretty much grew up together. Our families recently moved to Uminari from Osaka. That's where I was born and bred, hence the accent. Please take care of us, okay?" Hayate introduced cheerfully.

Hearing that name, Nanoha immediately turned her attention to the two new comers.

"Fate Harlaown. Please to meet you." Fate introduced with a bow.

'It just can't be the same Fate... right? What would be the chances? I'm just kidding myself…' Nanoha thought as she looked at Fate. She then returns her attention back to the sky.

From the moment Fate stepped into the class, she gave the room a scan and her eyes were immediately drawn to this auburn hair girl sitting in the last row by the window. Everyone in class was looking upfront except her. 'I wonder what she is looking at…' Fate thought.

After they introduced themselves, Carim announced, "Alright, let's get you seated. You guys can get acquainted at your own time later after the ceremony. Yagami-san, you can sit beside Honda-san over there. Harlaown-san, you can seat right next to Takamachi-san at the last row."

"It's so weird to hear you call me Yagami-san." Hayate teased.

Carim slapped the folder in her hand on Hayate's head lightly as a warning and countered, "Just get to your seat, Hayate-chan. And I don't want to hear any trouble from you." Carim countered.

Fate couldn't help but laugh softly at this. Her smile just mesmerised the entire class.

-0-

When Fate got seated, she introduced herself to the girl next to her that was still daydreaming. "See anything interesting?" Fate asked as she leaned over a little.

Nanoha was slightly startled by this as no one really talks to her in class. When she turned over, she was caught out by the most amazing pair of burgundy eyes. She couldn't help but to stare into it. The intruder waved her hand to get her attention.

"Sorry, come again?" Nanoha asked after she shook her head to clear her mind.

"I said, see anything interesting?" The blond repeated.

"Erm... it's just the sky with some cumulus clouds." Nanoha replied.

"So are you into clouds?" The blond carried on asking.

"Erm... I guess so. I love the sky." Nanoha replied softly.

"Night sky is prettier to my opinion. Name's Fate Harlaown. I just transferred to this school with my best friend, Hayate-chan who's sitting over there." Fate introduced.

"Please to meet you, Harlaown-san. I'm Nanoha, Takamachi Nanoha." Nanoha replied.

"Alright, enough chatting you two. Let's get on with homeroom then we will head off to the gym for school assembly." Carim interrupted. Both students apologised and the teacher carried on with homeroom.

Now that the blond has caught her attention, Nanoha could not resist herself and kept peeking at the blond.

'She prefers the night sky just like _my Fate_. However this Fate beside her has such amazing eyes. I think I can stare into it and get lost in it. And her blond hair looked so smooth. 'Nanoha thought.

"I wonder if it feels like silk..." Nanoha accidently let slip.

Fate immediately turns over with a surprised look and whispered back, "What's like silk?"

Nanoha immediately blushes and turned away, ignoring the blond as she has no idea how to reply her.

-0-

Throughout the assembly, Nanoha was being very self cautious as she could feel that amazing pair of burgundy eyes on her. Every time when she was brave enough to sneak a peek at Fate, Fate would turn just in time and their eyes would meet.

After the assembly back in class, Hayate came over to Fate's desk and everybody crowded around them, firing endless questions. Nanoha just sat there and listened. Hayate did most of the answering for them. It turns out that Fate is the quiet one. Nanoha really wondered if they are together as they seem so close.

So, from what she heard so far, Fate has been in Japan since she was 9. She was from Italy initially. Fate and Hayate became friends when they were 9. Both their families are very close and they kind of grew up together. Hayate is related to the new gym teacher, Signum-sensei and the new school nurse, Shamal-sensei. Carim-sensei is a family friend of theirs.

When they got into the more personal questions, Hayate would try to take most of the heat and deflect whatever she can. It seems that they weren't too keen on discussing about their family beyond what was revealed.

Fate looked in Nanoha's direction for assistance, silently pleading for Nanoha to save her from this circus with her eyes.

Giving in to those eyes, Nanoha voiced, "Don't you think that's enough Spanish inquisitions for the day?"

Her classmates kind of spared a look in her direction and carried on. Some just ignored her.

That did not go unnoticed to Fate.

When Nanoha saw the slight sadness reflected off Fate's eyes, she stood up and was ready to leave.

Fate then gave her a look that says 'save me'.

Her body moved before her mind registered. She went over, caught Fate by her arms and ran out of the classroom tolling Fate behind her.

-0-

Once they reached the safe heaven of the roof top, they stood there to catch their breathes. Nanoha instantly realised that they were still holding hands.

Nanoha immediately let go of her hand and blushed a little.

She could still feel the warmth of Fate's hand in her palm. Nanoha walked quietly towards the fence to put some distance between them as she clutched her fist.

She was feeling like there are butterflies in her stomach when she thought about holding Fate's hand.

'I wonder what will _my Fate_ think about this. There are suddenly too many _Fates_ in my life.' Nanoha thought.

Fate joined her shortly, leaning against the fence.

"Thanks for saving me back there." Fate thanked.

"I doubt that I was actually saving you. Yagami-san was doing a better job." Nanoha replied without looking at Fate.

"Still, I'm not used to all these attention, so thank you." Fate continued.

"Well, I thought you should be used to having the attention on you." Nanoha contradicted.

"Why do you think that?" Fate queried.

Caught out by the answer she had in mind, Nanoha mumbled, "Because you are so pretty..."

"Come again? I didn't quite catch that." Fate teased as she clearly caught what she said.

Nanoha said nothing in return and carried on looking to the sky.

"So you think I'm pretty. That's good to know." Fate acknowledged with a grin and a hit of blush present on her face.

Nanoha panicked and turned to face Fate, with a face as red as a tomato, and said, "Erm... that came out all wrong! Please just ignore what I just said."

"Well, I can't un-hear what I've heard but thanks for the vote of confident. I think you are a very attractive lady too." Fate replied with a half-smile.

Nanoha just flabbergasted and turned into a deeper shade of red if possible. Even her ears were tinted red.

"And here I thought that you were the quiet one among the both of you." Nanoha countered.

"Funny that. I usually am but with you I'm different. I wonder why." Fate replied.

Both of them just stood there in comfortable silence for a moment before Nanoha decided to head back.

"Wait a minute, Takamachi-san. Can you tell me why is the class ignoring you?" Fate asked.

"If you want to enjoy your school life, you should just stay away from me." Nanoha warned and she walked away without looking back.

-0-

A week in, Fate had concluded that the class is avoiding Nanoha for some reason.

Every time Fate tried to get more acquainted with the auburn hair girl, she somehow manages to always slip away. But Fate somehow just couldn't give up. Fate continued persistently which was out of her nature.

Fate is usually the quiet one compared to her best friend which is the totally opposite. Fate gives off a cool vibe where Hayate is always smiling brightly and a happy-go-lucky person.

Perhaps due to her out-going and cheerful nature, she was making many friends in school. Hayate can be quite a teaser but she can be fairly protective when it comes to Fate.

Everyone was calling Fate 'The Cool Beauty' by the end of the week and that had attracted a number of admirers. She began to receive confessions, and that was from both genders.

-0-

Fate Harlaown from her class became the main topic in Nanoha's conversation with her pen pal _Fate_. She didn't realise but she was constantly talking about her in their conversation.

FH, Nanoha calls her in their conversation. It was FH this and FH that. FH did this and that… FH kept trying to get acquainted…

Pen pal _Fate_ encouraged Nanoha to perhaps reach out to FH from school but was rejected. But the weird thing is, Nanoha couldn't stop talking about her.

She had nothing but praises for her. From her praises for FH, pen pal _Fate_ could tell that Nanoha was spending way too much attention on FH to be able to describe FH at that level. FH intrigues her that's for sure.

-0-

A few of months into school, Fate finally managed to wear Nanoha's defences down with her relentless attempts of getting acquainted even though many had warned her not to.

They were fairly subtle with their warning but the underlying message was clear. This only fuelled Fate's determination to get acquainted.

"Takamachi-san, I am very interested to become your friend and love to get to know more about you. Could we be friends?" Fate asked when they were on the roof alone again.

Nanoha groans and asked, "Why are you doing this, Harlaown-san? Clearly, everyone wants to be your friend. You can have your choice to pick from the seas of worshippers. Some even wants to be more than friends. Why me?"

"Because it's you." Fate vaguely replied.

Nanoha turned and stared at the intruder to her quiet life and laid out, "All I want is to be left alone, have a quiet life and finish the last year of my studies so that I can get out of here. Can you please befriend someone else?"

"Why can't I be your friend? Don't think that I didn't notice the whole class is avoiding you for some untold reason." Fate highlighted.

"Is that it? Am I your charity case? I don't need a friend and I don't need your pity!" Nanoha retorted.

"It's not pity. I am genuinely interested in... being your friend." Fate replied and came up close to Nanoha.

Looking deep into her eyes, Fate used her thumb to gently trace under Nanoha's eye as she said, "I can see your strength and resolve through your eyes. But I can also see the underlying sadness and loneliness. Let's just say it takes one to know one."

This is where Nanoha started to cave in a little and her eyes began to water but she will not crumble and stubbornness held it back.

"No man is an island. And you don't have to be. I will be here for you." Fate said gently as she caressed her cheek with her thumb.

'How can Fate always read me like a book? How does she know what to say all the time?' Nanoha thought to herself.

"Let me be your friend, Nanoha. Let me stand by you. I promise that I will not betray you for any reasons." Fate avowed.

Hearing Fate called her name so gently while looking straight into her eyes almost broke the last strain of Nanoha's resolve.

"All I want… is to see you happy, Nanoha." Fate added.

-0-

A tear escaped while she said, "I can't do that. You deserve a happy school life. Being my friend would only hurt you. The class would discriminate against you and they would ignore you too. They would make your life miserable and knowing that these would happen, how can I still reach for your hand?"

"Hayate-chan will always be around." Fate disputed.

"Do you not know how popular you are? And Yagami-san is just one person. You deserve to have more friends. You deserve to be surrounded by people." Nanoha replied.

"You only need a few good friends in life. Numbers doesn't mean anything. It's the quality of the relationship that counts." Fate answered.

"Why are you so determined to be my friend? I'm nobody. You don't even know me. How do you know that I would make a good friend?" Nanoha challenged.

"Because it's you. All I need is you, Nanoha." Fate replied with the gentlest smile Nanoha had ever seen.

No one smiles like that at her… Never! With the sun close to setting, the light shone from behind Fate, casting a glow off her hair. Fate looks just like an angel sent from heaven to ease her lonely soul.

-0-

Nanoha couldn't take it anymore.

"You don't understand. You are not seeing the whole picture. The class discriminate me because my two best friends are lesbians. I'm a lesbian too! Knowing that, how can you feel safe with me?" Nanoha argued.

"I'm so glad you said that." Fate replied softly as she cupped Nanoha's face. She then slides her hand down her cheek and used her finger to tilt Nanoha's head up a little.

Looking alternately between her eyes and her lips, Fate dipped down and tasted that pair of sweet lips.

Nanoha was stunned out of her mind and did not recuperate her kiss.

"Nanoha..." Fate whispered and she dipped down for a second.

Nanoha still did not return her kiss... but that only lasted for a moment.

Nanoha stood no chance against Fate, the one intruder to her life.

Once Nanoha kissed Fate back, Fate deepened their kisses, and Nanoha let out a moan involuntary. Nanoha felt like she was turning into mush and both melted into each other's' arms.

-0-

When they finally broke apart grasping for air, Fate informed shyly, "That was actually my first kiss…"

Nanoha asked while she was still drunk from the kisses they just shared, "Wa... What was that for...?"

Tightening her hold to prevent Nanoha from escaping, Fate replied in a too sexy to be legal husky voice, "I already told you, Nanoha. All I need is you. And our kisses have proven it."

"Why? Why me?" Nanoha questioned once again.

"Because with you beside me, I feel whole again. You are like the last missing piece to the puzzle of my life. I feel that I can be me in front of you without worry of any judgement. I feel like I can do anything, overcome anything, if you stand by me." Fate confessed.

Nanoha looked straight into her eyes as she declared. Nanoha could only see sincerity and truth and a little bit of something else in her eyes.

"But..." Nanoha began but got cut off by Fate laying a finger across her lips.

"All I want is to see that beautiful smile and to see happiness reflected in your eyes. I don't know why but I just can't get you out of my head. When you are not beside me, I wonder about you. What are you doing right at that moment? Are you sad at the moment or plagued with other worries? Are you thinking of me as I am thinking of you? You attracted my attention from the very beginning. Where ever you are, I can easily pick you out of a crowd of hundreds in a second. You are like a beacon that attracts me. I just got to find out more about you. I can't explain my actions or reactions but whenever I see you looking at me, my heart skips a beat. And when I see you smile at me, I get butterflies in my stomach. I only come to realise how I felt for you after heaps of thoughts and some pointers from a friend." Fate explained.

-0-

Nanoha was shaking her head in disbelieve at this point. "I will only ruin you..." Nanoha replied sadly.

"Since now that the cat is out of the bag, let's skip the friends step. Be my girlfriend, Nanoha. Let me show you my love and stand by you. You don't have to face the world on your own. Let me in." Fate pled.

"No..." Nanoha teared.

"Why are you being so stubborn? I know that you feel for me too from the way you look at me..." Fate said as she reached for Nanoha's hands.

Nanoha did not immediately pull her hand away and that was the second good sign. First were the kisses they shared.

"I can't be who you want me to be and I am not who you think I am. I don't deserve your feelings. You don't understand..." Nanoha continued to reject Fate.

"Then talk to me, Nanoha." Fate reinforced.

"You don't understand, Fate-chan... even if I do feel for you, I can't be with you. Cause... cause I'm a monster! I don't deserve to be loved." Nanoha cried.

Fate just stood there and hugged Nanoha as she cried. She drew comforting circles on her back to calm her down, patting her head every once in a while.

-0-

When the tears finally stopped flowing, Nanoha found herself seated in-between Fate's legs, surrounded by her warmth.

"You want to tell me why you think you are a monster? Because what I see in front of me is an angel." Fate cooed.

Nanoha sighed and mumbled, "Well, I can change that. With you, somehow logic does not apply..."

Nanoha took a couple of deep breaths for courage. Fate tighten her hold a little to provide support and gave her a kiss on her head.

"You see, both my best friends are multimillionaire. They are living overseas at the moment. When we were in our first year of middle school, Alisa-chan got kidnapped. We were on our way to Suzuka-chan's. The kidnappers manhandled us as Alisa-chan did not want to go down without a fight. She's a good person by heart but easy to lose her temper. When we were in some sort of warehouse waiting for the ransom deal to be made, I overheard that they will kill us once they received the money. So, once we were dragged out of the vehicle, we ran for it. Alisa-chan eventually got caught again. As one of the kidnappers struck a knife into her guts, I literally saw red. I hunted them down one by one, using the dense forest to my advantage. I killed every last one of them. All four of them died because I killed them! I drove Alisa-chan towards the road until a kind police officer took over the driving and drove us to the nearest hospital. I passed out on the way to the hospital. When I woke up, I was facing charges of murder but it was later dropped. I spent more than a week cuffed to the hospital bed as a criminal." Nanoha explained.

"What I remember the most was... my hands… They were covered with blood of the people I've killed and how good it felt for them to die in front of me... Don't you see… I'm a monster… a murderer…" Nanoha cried as she stared into her trembling hands.

Fate shifted out of the position and Nanoha continued to cry silently, clenching her fists so hard that it almost drew blood. She suddenly felt so cold without Fate's warmth embracing her.

She was shocked when Fate took her hands and urged her to open her hands. She looked up in surprise to see Fate kneeling in front of her.

"What I took from the story of what you told me was a very strong brave girl, standing up to some very bad people and doing whatever it takes to protect her friend. These aren't hands of a murderer but of a protector. Thank you for opening up to me and sharing your story with me. Let me protect you from now on." Fate explained and kissed both Nanoha's hands.

Nanoha clutched onto Fate's blouse and pulled her close. She held onto Fate as if she was her lifeline.

Fate just embraced her strongly yet gently within her arms.

They were cuddling on the rooftop until an announcement was made for students to exit the school as the school was closing.

Fate offered to walk Nanoha home and she accepted.


	3. Chapter 3

**Message In A Bottle**

 **A/N:** This is a work of fanfiction. Businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. I do not own any of the characters from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha.

PS: Okay, I know that some readers are going to comment about the speed & timeline of things. There are just some things that can't be measured with time. Sometimes, you just got to throw cation to the wind... Take the leap of faith... and just follow your heart.

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

While they were walking towards Nanoha's house, Nanoha said, "I really don't know how you do it. You just crashed into my world from the very first moment our eyes met. Logic never seems to apply when it comes to you. No matter how sturdy the walls I built, you managed to walk through them as if it never existed."

With this, Fate was filled with hope. She held onto Nanoha's hand and entwined their fingers as they walked. Nanoha had not rejected her contact and Fate was in cloud nine.

As they were standing in front of Nanoha's house, Fate asked, "So does that means it's a yes to my question?"

"What do you mean?" Nanoha asked as she was unsure of which question Fate was referring to. The whole day has been so bizarre.

"Will you be mine, Nanoha?" Fate asked as she looked into Nanoha's eyes with all the feelings she felt for her.

No one ever looked at her that way. There was no fear or caution, only love. Fate did not treat her as if she was broken or someone that she needed to be wary of.

"I think you will regret this in future." Nanoha answered.

Fate let go of her hands and cupped her face. She tilted her head down a little and gave Nanoha a more intense look to show that she is serious about this.

"Yes." Nanoha whispered with blush peppering her face.

Once the word left her mouth, a pair of soft tender lips sealed over hers. The kiss only lasted for a moment but it soothed all Nanoha's worries away.

"I'll see you tomorrow, my love." Fate replied softly.

Once Nanoha was in the safety of her room, she collapses onto the floor. 'Love? How can Fate be in love with me? We barely known each other and this is moving way too fast! Love... Will I even be able to love her in return? Me... The monster... The murderer... Love...?' Nanoha thought.

She was lost in her thoughts until her sister was knocking on her door to see if she was alright as she hasn't gone down for dinner. Nanoha was quiet throughout dinner. This was nothing unusual but she could see the worries in her family's eyes. 'I better buck up. I'm making them worry again.' Nanoha thought to herself as she headed back to her room.

After shower, she saw her phone blinking. To her surprise, it was a message from Fate Harlaown. "Yes, I do love you, Nanoha. And I can't wait to see you again and hold you in my arms."

With that, Nanoha turned to the only person who she can pour her heart out to.

 _"Dear Fate, as you know, FH had crashed landed into my life...I never knew that there would be another who would understand me like you do... Today, FH was so awesome and so cool. FH always seems to say the right thing at the right time. It' almost as if FH could read my mind and apply soothing balm on my wound at the right moment. I gave in today and did something very unexpected. I really hope that I will not regret my decision. How do one know what they did was right or wrong? My family is worried about me again and there is nothing I can do about it. The situation will never improve no matter what I do. Sometimes I wish I was not around anymore and all these problems would not exist. ~Machi"_

And they chatted late into the night.

-0-

The next day, while walking to school, Hayate couldn't resist and just had to ask, "Fate-chan, something good happened yesterday? Why are smiling like a Cheshire cat?"

"Hmm? I'll tell you later." Fate replied happily.

"What about you? You seem to have a thing for Rein-sensei." Fate teased.

"Wha… Wha… What? Where did that come from?" Hayate flabbergasted as she blushed deeply.

"Don't deny it. I see the way you looked at her in class. And when she came over for dinner… you were acting so out of character." Fate teased.

"I… I was not out of character!" Hayate defended.

"I believe that you got her attention too." Fate continued.

"Don't think that I don't know what you are doing. You are just changing the topic." Hayate counted.

"Now… am I?" Fate replied with a cheeky smile.

-0-

The later never came for Fate. Nanoha did not come to school that day and was not answering her phone. Fate left messages.

Nanoha did not turn up again the next day and the next. This had Fate worried sick.

After school, she went over to her house but no one answered the door. Fate had enough of waiting and she went to the only person that could help with this situation. Fate knocks on the door and waited patiently.

"Fate-chan! Is everything alright? What are you doing here so late?" Hayate asked when she saw Fate on the other side of the door.

"Is Shamal in? I need to speak to her." Fate replied anxiously.

"Yea, sure. Come on in." Hayate stepped aside to let her in.

Once Fate saw Shamal in the kitchen, she made a beeline towards her. "Shamal, can I please talk to you in private?" Fate asked with a grieve look on her face.

-0-

"Is something wrong, Fate-chan?" Shamal asked once they were in the privacy of her bedroom that she shares with her wife Signum.

"Do you know what happened to Takamachi Nanoha from my class? She hasn't been to school for two days now." Fate asked.

"Fate-chan, you should know that I can't discuss about our students with you. That's against the rule." Shamal replied.

"As school nurse, you should know something about it. Please tell me that she is alright." Fate pled.

Fate doesn't usually beg for anything and this really got Shamal wondering.

"Why are you so concern about your classmate? Missing a few days of school is nothing special." Shamal questioned.

"She's not answering her phone and her door." Fate snipped back.

That caught Shamal by surprise and she raised her eyebrow as she look back at the kid.

"Sorry, Shamal. That was uncalled for. I'm just really worried about her. Something's not right. It just doesn't feel right." Fate apologised.

"Is there something else you want to tell me?" Shamal asked motherly.

"Shamal, she's my girlfriend. I love and care for her. That's why I'm worried. I just have this feeling that I need to be there." Fate admitted with tear threatening to fall.

Shamal went over and gave Fate a hug. They have learnt first handed from the past to never ignore Fate's 'feelings.'

"Ah Fate-chan, how did you grow up so fast." Shamal comforted.

"I haven't told anyone yet, not even Hayate-chan or Lindy-oka." Fate told Shamal.

"It's alright. You can tell us your story at your own pace. Takamachi-san is at home. She's fine, don't worry. Apparently she gets these low grade fevers from time to time. She will recover in a few days." Shamal advised.

"It's getting late. I'll get Signum to drop you off or if you prefer, you can stay here for the night." Shamal continued.

"No... I need to see her now... Please Shamal, please help me." Fate begged.

"But it's 2100 already, and it's a school day tomorrow." Shamal advised.

"If you are not going to help me, I'll bust in through the door myself." Fate replied darkly.

"Are you threatening me, Fate-chan?" Shamal asked sternly.

"No ma'am. Please..." Fate answered.

After sighing, Shamal gave in and said, "I can't make any promises. If her parents turn us away, we have to leave, okay?"

-0-

Signum drove both Shamal and Fate to Nanoha's house. While Shamal was trying to explain the situation to Nanoha's mother for the late night visit, they heard screaming coming from upstairs.

"It's Nanoha!" Fate exclaimed.

Fate pushed past everyone and was the first to get to Nanoha's room. She even out ran Nanoha's dad who was in the living room. Fate opened the door and heard Nanoha screaming. She seems to be struggling against something and was tossing a lot.

With quick steps, Fate reached her bed side. Nanoha's mother cried for someone to quickly get Nanoha's medication.

Fate was hugging and restraining Nanoha to prevent her from injuring herself. She tried to coo her and mumbled comforting words to her, reiterating and assuring her that she was safe.

When Nanoha's dad came back with the medication, Nanoha had calmed down and was slowing her breathing.

"She's never done that before..." Nanoha's mother voiced with surprise.

"The crying and screaming?" Shamal asked.

"No. She's never calm down like that before. We always have to give her sedatives..." Nanoha's mother replied with sadness clear in her voice.

"Let's just leave them for a while." Shamal advised.

And Fate heard the door closed behind her. Fate tried to reposition Nanoha so that she can sleep more comfortably.

She gently swept her bangs away and used the wash cloth nearby to wipe off her perspiration and tears.

After about an hour or so, there was a soft knock on the door. The adults were relief to see that Nanoha was sleeping soundly. Fate was just sitting beside Nanoha silently.

"Fate-chan, it's getting late. We should go." Shamal said softly.

"I'm not leaving her like that. I'll stay here till she wakes." Fate replied solemnly without looking back.

"It's alright, Shamal-sensei. Fate-chan can stay here for the night." Nanoha's mother said in reply to Shamal.

"I'm so sorry to impose of your family." Shamal replied.

"It's no trouble at all. I should thank you all for dropping by and calming Nanoha down." Nanoha's mother advised.

"Fate-chan, Signum and I are going to leave now. We will text Lindy to let her know. You don't have to attend class for tomorrow but this is a once off. I do not support you skipping out on your classes." Shamal called out softly.

"Yes ma'am. Thank you, Shamal." Fate replied but it was obvious all her attention is on the girl lying in front of her.

-0-

When Nanoha woke in the middle of the night, she was surprised to feel warm and comforted. She never felt so safe before. When she opened her eyes, she saw Fate sleeping by her bed while sitting on the floor. She was still holding onto her hand as she slept.

Looking at the connection between them, Nanoha thought to herself, 'Ahh... this must be the reason why I feel so safe. Silly girl, she's going to catch a chill sleeping like that. Gosh, I guess I really got it bad for her...'

Nanoha sat up and placed a soft kiss on the blonde's head. Sensing movement, Fate woke up to see Nanoha sitting in bed. "Hi there…" Nanoha greeted with rough voice.

"Nanoha, you're awake!" Fate called out in surprise and scrambled to sit on the bed.

"Yes, I am. Did you try to stay up all night? How did you even get here? Did mama and papa let you in?" Nanoha blasted a thousand questions without a chance for Fate to reply.

Fate just smiled gently and replied, "My love is sick, of course I'll be here to take care of you." Nanoha just blushed deeply after hearing that.

Fate swept Nanoha's bangs away and rested her forehead together to check her temperature. "You are still a little feverish. Here, have a sip of water, take your tablets and go back to sleep." Fate cooed.

"I will, only if you come on the bed. You are going to catch a chill if you sleep like that sitting on the floor." Nanoha said shyly.

"Really? Can I?" Fate replied and smiled like a kid finding a treasure of candies.

"Of course. I won't want you to get sick." Nanoha replied by pulling back her blanket.

Once they are settled in bed, Fate tried to take up the least amount of space she could.

"Don't be silly, Fate-chan. You can come closer but I can't promise that I won't bite." Nanoha teased.

Fate got onto her side and countered, "Oh really? Where about are you thinking of biting then?"

Nanoha just smirked in response.

"Let's save the biting for another time. For now, you need your rest." Fate said while tapping Nanoha's nose affectionately.

"Gosh, you are starting to sound like mama." Nanoha winded.

Fate shook her head in response and said, "I don't think your mama would do this." And she sealed her lips over Nanoha's.

When they parted, Nanoha whispered breathlessly, "More..."

"Just a few more then..." Fate replied and returned for another kiss.

-0-

Next morning, Nanoha was the first to wake up. She was drinking in the view in front of her. She was taking in the sight of a sleeping angel.

'Fate even looks so gorgeous when she sleeps. She looks so cute it hard to not fall for her. Guys and girls in school are crazy about her but here she is, sleeping in my bed. Who would have guessed that? Ah, I wonder if she will wake if I steal a kiss...' Nanoha thought as she looked at Fate.

Slowly, she inched her face closer and closer, and she stole a kiss from her sleeping beauty.

Seeing that Fate was still sleeping, her courage grew and she went in for another kiss. Only this time, Fate snaked her hand around Nanoha's waist and pulled her closer and released a rain of butterfly kisses on her.

Fate said huskily, "I think I can confirm that this is the best way to wake. I'm going to be so spoilt after today."

"You must be crazy." Nanoha teased as she giggled.

Fate got up on all fours and hovered over Nanoha. "No, this IS the best way to wake every day for the rest of my life." Fate proclaimed and she kissed Nanoha again.

"Marry me, Nanoha." Fate proposed breathlessly after they parted for air.

"You can't be serious!" Nanoha replied with surprise.

"Like I said before, this is the best way to wake. I want to wake up with you in my arms for the rest of my life. Marry me." Fate repeated.

"Fate, you can't joke about this. This is a very serious topic." Nanoha said as she pulled herself away from Fate.

"I'm serious. Why would I joke about this? I love you too much to play a prank like this on us." Fate announced sincerely.

"You must be crazy. Get off me now." Nanoha barked.

Fate got up and gave Nanoha some space.

"You know it deep down in your mind, your heart and your soul that we belong to each other." Fate clarified.

"Even if it is, I can't just say yes. Heck, we haven't even gone on a date! Plus, we are still underage. And the last time I checked, both of us are female. Female." Nanoha countered as she walked to her wardrobe to grab some clothes to change into.

"There are plenty of female couples around. Hayate-chan lives with one too. I don't see that as a problem." Fate said.

Nanoha sigh and replied, "Someone really needs to teach you about dating timeline."

"Life is pretty short and we should make the most out of it. Trust me. I will take care of you, love and cherish you for the rest of my life. Give me a chance to show you. Marry me." Fate tried again.

Nanoha looked into that beautiful and enthralling pair of burgundy eyes and she saw nothing but the truth and love. "I really don't know what to do with you..." Nanoha said as she shook her head caved. "

You are killing me with those eyes…" Nanoha protested.

"I thought you love it when I look into your eyes. I'll blind them this very instant if you really hate them." Fate advised.

"You really will do anything for me?" Nanoha asked.

"Yes. I love you and I will do everything to be with you." Fate answered without any hesitation.

"Even though I am a monster, a killer?" Nanoha contested.

"Even so, but what I have in front of me is a protector, an angel." Fate replied.

"Do you only see the good in people and ignore the bad?" Nanoha asked.

"No. I've just seen and know more than my fair shares. You are not who you think you are, my love. If you really want me to put it in a way you can understand, I can see through all that bullshit people label you as." Fate clarified as she held onto Nanoha's hands.

"How can you love me so much?" Nanoha probed.

"Because you are the sun to my world. You are the air that I breathe. Like I said, I can see all I need to know through your eyes and gosh, you have the most beautiful soulful eyes." Fate described as she gently stroke her cheeks.

Nanoha was simply blown away by all the heartfelt confessions that Fate keeps making. Her soul just can't take it anymore. Who is she kidding? She can't explain it and neither can she deny it. She's head over heels for this angel in front of her.

"Yes..." she replied softly.

"Did you say yes?" Fate's eyes lit up as she heard the whisper.

"Yes, I'll marry you, Fate-chan." Nanoha replied with a smile.

Fate hugged her tightly and was jumping up and down with excitement. "Thank you, Nanoha. You just made me the happiest person in the world!" Fate declared.

"I know I love you but everything got out of hands real fast. You really defy all logic, Fate-chan." Nanoha chuckled.

Fate was smiling like she just won the lottery.

"You are going to regret this someday." Nanoha warned.

"Never." Fate promised and she blew Nanoha's mind with kisses.

-0-

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Nanoha, you should come down for breakfast if you are awake. Fate-chan too." Nanoha's mother announced through the door.

Nanoha began to smirk and said, "Now, you not only have to explain why you barged into our house late at night, you still need to ask mama and papa for permission."

Fate replied with a grin, "No problem. Anything for my future wife."

Of course Nanoha's parents were shocked beyond belief. They were left totally speechless with their jaws hanging.

"Are you really sure about this? You hardly know her." Nanoha's dad, Shiro asked.

"Yes, papa. I'm sure about this." Nanoha replied.

"She's not forcing you or blackmailing you is she?" Shiro carried on.

"No, papa. I'm doing this on my free will. I want to marry Fate-chan." Nanoha replied.

"Are you doing this for yourself and for love or…?" Nanoha's mother, Momoko asked.

"Yes, mama. I love her. I can't explain it but I just know it." Nanoha replied as she looked over at Fate.

The older couple could see the love in their eyes. What they felt for each other is true.

Fate ignoring the tension in the room and asked like a selfish kid smiling, "So, can she move in with me today?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Message In A Bottle**

 **A/N:** This is a work of fanfiction. Businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. I do not own any of the characters from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha.

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

After a very long video call to Fate's mother, Lindy, Nanoha was surprised that her parents allowed her to move in with Fate. Nanoha found this beyond shocking. Her parents, the very same one that babies her and walks on eggshells whenever she was around, allowed her to move in with her new 'fiancée'.

That must be some serious magic the Harlaowns must had pulled out of the hat.

Momoko cried when she sent her daughter off with a couple bags of her clothes. They will be back again to pick up more of her stuff. Everything is moving way too fast. Capital W.A.Y.

-0-

Fate explained that she lives on her own most of the time. Both her mother and brother are in the Navy and they are on tour. They only come back to Japan in between their long holidays. They have another house in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, which is closer to base.

Beside her mother, Shamal, Signum and Hayate have key to the house. Sounds like pretty much everyone has a key to the apartment. They will have to make a copy for Momoko as agreed and she will be getting one too.

Fate told Nanoha that they will be having dinner with her surrogated family as she can't wait to share the news. She eats over at Hayate's most of the time. She hardly cooks for herself as she just can't be bothered to. Cooking for one is boring.

After settling in, Fate insisted that they should take this chance to shop for their engagement rings. Fate explained that there is no budget, and that she can choose whichever one she wanted.

"Before we go through with this, I have a confession to make. After hearing it, you are free to change your mind at any time." Fate declared.

"What is it, love?" Nanoha asked.

"You see, Hayate and I… we are not your average high school students. Not to brag, even if you half our IQ, we are still higher than the average human. We see… we see the world very differently. Both of us didn't actually need our high school education but we wanted to live a normal life for a change. Signum and Shamal quitted their jobs to make this happen for us." Fate explained.

Nanoha just waited patiently for Fate to continue her story.

"Due to our gifts… we get called away from time to time to help with agencies on urgent cases." Fate continued.

"Gifts?" Nanoha asked.

"Yup. More like curses really. Erm… I can read and sense things with my mind. I can also move things with my mind. Hayate-chan is different. She can communicate with the dead when the conditions are right and she can also get them to do her biddings. Both of us were lab rats in my mother's company. Have you heard of Testarossa Inc.?"

"Yes. They are the leading entrepreneur in the living science industries." Nanoha replied.

"Yup. My biological mother, Precia Testarossa used to run it. She was a brilliant scientist, until the death of my twin sister Alicia. Alicia passed away when she was six. It was due to a car accident. Precia tried everything she could to bring her Alicia back to life. She even ran tests on human subjects illegally. She started kidnapping other kids to run test studies and Hayate was one of them. Back then, Signum was still with the special force. She did not give up on Hayate and they eventually found us. Precia killed herself to resist arrest. She shot herself in the head and died right beside Alicia's body which was in containment. I own the company now as I am the last living Testarossa. I own 66% of the company shares in total. Lindy-oka was heading the operation and later she later adopted me and gave me a family. This is the very reason why I am so bonded with Hayate as we had shared similar experiences. Fate explained.

"Oh gosh… I'm so sorry… I am so sorry that you and Hayate had to gone through that…" Nanoha wept upon hearing the story.

"Don't be. I've learnt let the past stay buried. But my body aren't too flash though. There's still time to regret." Fate comforted.

"We both bear the scars from our pasts." Nanoha cried as she hugged Fate tightly.

"And we should wear them with pride. They only made us stronger." Fate added as she cried too.

"Lastly, this might be the deal breaker. As previously mentioned, about our 'gifts'… Nothing comes free. There are prices to pay for using it. We believe that it shortens our lifespan. Hayate was stuck in a wheelchair for years as she lost the use of her legs due to all the testing. For me, I lost control of my mind and had to learn the hard way of controlling it, to block out all the noises… I get headaches and bleeding if I use it too much…" Fate explained.

After taking a deep breath, she asked, "So… are you regretting now?"

"No. It just made you even more special." Nanoha declared.

"Even though I may not live as long as an average human?" Fate reminded Nanoha.

"Even so. It's just like you said, life is short, so let's not waste it. I want to spend the rest of my life with you for as long as possible." Nanoha proclaimed.

Fate gave her a cheeky look and asked, "Did I show you the bedroom just now? Because I don't think I did..."

-0-

After ensuring that Nanoha got ample of rest after their… activity, they left the house to shop for their rings.

Fate caught her eyeing on a piece of jewellery. When she asked Nanoha about it, Nanoha would deny it.

Dinner at the Yagamis was a fun and warm affair. Hayate was relentless with her teasing but Nanoha understood that she was just looking out for Fate in her own way. Plus she's cheeky most of the time. It takes a while, but eventually you will get used to it.

What shocked Nanoha the most is that everybody accepted the news without blinking an eye. They welcomed her into the family with opened arms as if she had been dating Fate for years. Shamal was saying that they had never see Fate behave this way before and Hayate had been hinting to them that something like that might be happening soon.

-0-

Heading back to her new home, Nanoha was exhausted to the bone and just wanted to climb into bed. Without any warning, Fate lifted Nanoha up and carried her like a princess to their bedroom.

"Fate-chan, how is it you know how I feel most of the time? Are you using your gift?" Nanoha asked as Fate deposited her in bed.

"Because it's you? I try my best to pay attention to you and read your body language." Fate answered.

"How is it you are able to love me so deeply in such a short time?" Nanoha asked.

"You can't really measure love by time, my dearest." Fate replied.

"I must have been a hero or done something really great to be able to meet you in this life..." Nanoha said with a tear escaping.

"Nano-love, I got something for you." Fate announced as she handed Nanoha a longish box.

When Nanoha opened it, she saw the pearl necklace she was looking at earlier at the jewellery shop. It's a single red pearl attached to a chain. "How...? Why...?" Nanoha asked.

"Why not? You loved it, right? I saw you looking at it. Plus, we won't be able to wear our rings to school so I wanted to get you something that you can keep with you at all times." Fate replied.

"I was only looking at it because the colour reminded me of the colour of your eyes... How can someone so sweet like you end up with someone like me..." Nanoha said but was interrupted by Fate.

"Nanoha, you are the best thing that has happened in my life. Never doubt it. Not even for a nanosecond." Fate declared.

"Quick, put it on so that I can see how you look with it." Fate urged.

"How do I look?" Nanoha asked after putting the necklace on.

After staring for a moment, Fate leaned forward and placed a kiss on the pearl and only one word came from Fate, "Beautiful."

-0-

Nanoha couldn't wait to tell her _pen pal_ _Fate_ about what has happened today.

'Wait a minute... Does this count as me cheating on Fate? I do like her because she sorts of understands me… but it's not like I'm in love with her or having an affair with her.' The thought crossed Nanoha's mind.

The next day, reality kicked in. When they walked hand in hand to school, with Hayate teasing them all the time, people were staring at them with disbelief.

By lunchtime, people were sprouting disturbing versions of what they thought happened and were calling Nanoha worse names. Fate especially did not like the way her class reacted.

At the end of the day, she went over to her wife-to-be's desk and gave her a smouldering kiss before asking, "Are we ready to go home, Nano-love?"

Hayate cat whistled and called out from behind Fate, "Are you marking your territory, Fate-chan?"

"Just proclaiming. If anyone has any issue with my fiancée, they should come speak to me." Fate publicised.

-0-

A week into their new life, Momoko has already dropped by four times. They alternated between going to Hayate's and Nanoha's parents house to eat.

That night, Nanoha looked like she had something to get off her chest but clearly she was holding it back and pondering about it.

"Nano-love, what's wrong? You look like you got something to say. You know that you can always talk to me about anything, right?" Fate enquired.

"Come here and have a sit. There's something I need to tell you, Fate-chan." Nanoha said as she pat on the space beside her on the bed. Nanoha insisted for Fate to face to face so that she can see her reaction.

"Fate-chan, you know that I love you, right." Nanoha started.

"Yes. Why? Is this not working out for you?" Fate teased but the humour was not present in her eyes.

"I love you but there is someone in my life I want you to know about. You see, I knew this person before I met you. She… She is a friend of mine. I've write to her all the time. She is the only one that I could open up my heart to as I didn't want to add on any additional burden to my family and friends than I already had. I had no one else to talk to except her. I was supposed to let Alisa-chan and Suzuka-chan know about it when I contacted her but I didn't. Nobody knows that I am writing to her." Nanoha explained.

"So she's important to you. Can I meet her?" Fate asked with a masked expression.

Nanoha held onto her hands and continued, "You can't."

Fate frowned upon hearing this.

"The truth is, she is an online friend. I've never met her before. We just write to each other. We don't converse about names or locations etc., just a general picture of the situations and stuff like that." Nanoha said as she tightened her grip.

Thinking back, Nanoha began to smile a little and said, "It had a real romantic start to it. You see, I found a message in a bottle in the Okinawa water when we went there for a school trip in middle school. Funny thing is, her name is also Fate. What are the chances, right?"

Hearing this, Fate broke out in laughter.

"Fate-chan, I'm being serious here. Why are you laughing so hard?" Nanoha asked with a pout as she got real confused.

Fate redoubled her laughter.

Nanoha playfully slapped Fate on her shoulder to get her attention and said, "I'm serious, Fate."

Trying the best to control her laughter, Fate said as she pulled out her cell phone, "I got something to show you. You really need to see this."

Fate brought up her email account and handed her phone over to Nanoha.

Nanoha was like a fish out of the water. Her lips were moving but no sound came out.

Seeing that, Fate laughed out loud again.

"It's you… It has always been you…" Nanoha said after she finally found her voice and recovered from her shock.

Nanoha threw the phone away and pounced on Fate. She started raining kisses on her and muttered in between their kisses, "It has always been you… Why didn't I see the connection before? Gosh I love you so much. Thank you Fate. Thank you for being there for me when I needed you the most. Thank you for making that Birthday wish. Thank you for throwing the message in a bottle into the sea. And thank you for coming into my life." Nanoha reciprocated.

"I love you too, Nanoha." Fate acknowledged.


	5. Chapter 5

**Message In A Bottle**

 **A/N:** This is a work of fanfiction. Businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. I do not own any of the characters from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha.

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

A month into their new relationship, Fate got called away on an urgent case. Nanoha prayed that Fate would not have to use her gift as this may just shorten the time they have together.

Zafira, Shamal's brother who is still in the special force left with Fate.

All the adults and Hayate had advised Nanoha to temporarily move back home but Nanoha stubbornly refused. "This is our home. I'll wait here for Fate-chan to come home." Nanoha stubbornly replied.

Two weeks later, Hayate got called out too. If they are calling Hayate, that means that somebody has just passed or presumed dead. This added onto Nanoha's worries.

She just can't shake this bad feeling she's got. Perhaps it's her nerves getting to her.

A week after Hayate left, Signum came and got Nanoha out of class.

On the way to the airport, Signum said, "Shamal has helped you packed a bag. If you are missing anything, we can get it when we get to our destination."

"Tell me the truth please, Signum-sensei. Is Fate alright?" Nanoha asked solemnly.

"Takamachi, we lost contact with Zafira and Testarossa over a week ago. Hayate is not getting anything so I would take that as good news." Signum replied.

Nanoha just sat there silently.

After a long silent, Nanoha asked, "So, where are you taking me?"

"Canada." Signum replied.

"And why are you taking me there?" Nanoha questioned.

"That, I can't answer you as I do not exactly know. All I know is that Fate has advised us to not involve you in the cases unless it is the last resort. She didn't exactly explain why." Signum answered.

"Then what's the plan? You fly me to Canada and I sit in a hotel room to wait?" Nanoha snipped.

Signum just looked over at Nanoha in between driving.

"Sorry, you did not deserve that." Nanoha apologised.

"I understand what you are going through. We are here for you, Takamachi." Signum acknowledged.

"So what's the plan?" Nanoha asked nicely this time round.

"We will be meeting up with Vita and Hayate. We will then go to the scenes and work our way to where we lost contact with them." Signum advised.

"Sounds like a plan." Nanoha agreed.

-0-

When they got there, there was nothing and nothing. No clues to work off. Nanoha was getting more and more frustrated as the time passed by.

When they got to the last scene, Nanoha just couldn't take it anymore and broke down in the car. "I can't take this anymore. There isn't any clue to work off and I don't even know why I'm here!" Nanoha cried.

"We can't give up on Fate, Nanoha." Hayate cooed.

"She wants you here for a reason. We just need to find it." Hayate added.

"Let's see… why would she want you here?" Hayate thought out loud.

"Perhaps it's got something to do with your past." Signum added.

"I've never done any supernatural things like you guys before. I've only know some martial arts." Nanoha responded.

"There must be something. Think harder." Vita added.

"Well, I've been charged for murder before... but the charges were dropped afterwards. I was never convicted." Nanoha said softly.

"Say what?!" Hayate hollered.

Nanoha began her story after a sigh. "I just hope you guys won't think badly of me…"

After Nanoha finished her story, Hayate acknowledged, "Man… you are some bad ass girl! No wonder Fate-chan loves you so much!"

"Is that the only fact you got out of the story?" Vita responded.

"Takamachi, I'm more interested in where you literally saw red and how without any jungle training, you managed to evade and track." Signum voiced out.

"Hmm? I don't know. My best friend was in danger and I just lost it. High on adrenaline perhaps?" Nanoha answered.

"No… There's more to that. I wonder if there is a trigger. How were you feeling back then? What were you thinking back then? Try to remember… what was your focus?" Signum guided.

"I don't know…" Nanoha muttered.

"Let's go to exact the last known coordinates and see what we can find." Vita advised.

-0-

When they got there, no clue could be found. Everybody was getting real frustrated and the sun is beginning to set.

"I'm sorry about this." Nanoha heard Signum whispered.

Signum kicked Nanoha from behind, causing her to drop on her knees.

"Signum!" Nanoha heard Hayate shouted but no rescue came.

Signum hit her hard on the back of her head and pulled her up by the blouse. She then punched Nanoha hard in her gut and dropped her to the ground. Signum kneeled over Nanoha from behind and put her in a headlock. She was pressing so hard that Nanoha could hardly breathe. Nanoha was crawling on Signum's arm with no effect.

Signum pulled her close and said adversely, "How does it feel to be dying? Does it hurt? Getting hard to breathe? Fate could be going through things worse than this. She could be tortured right this moment."

Nanoha shouted and struggled fiercely but Signum had a firm hold.

"Imagine the pain she has to suffer… Blood running down her face, Fate drawing laboured breathes…" Signum egged on.

With that image painted in her mind, Nanoha literally saw red.

Somehow she managed to overpower Signum and break off the headlock. She took Signum down and was punching her in the face with the image still strong in her head.

Suddenly, she heard a shout out of nowhere. 'Nanoha…'

She looked surprised and was searching for the voice.

'Nanoha!' She heard it again and she began running. Nanoha was like a predator on the hunt, catching the scent of her prey.

"Get in the car!" Signum shouted as she ran after Nanoha.

-0-

Nanoha must have run over 10 kilometres now at full speed as Signum is getting really winded and was starting to loose speed.

15 minutes later, she began to slow down… as if she is trying to pick up a scent.

Nanoha stopped a few times to look around for a few seconds and took off again.

Nanoha led Signum to what seems like an abandoned cabin deep in the woods. The cabin looks like it was about to crumble anytime.

"Fate." Nanoha shouted. No response.

"Fate!" Nanoha shouted again as she looked around the area.

After a moment of searching, she ran towards what was left of a boathouse.

Signum came close to Nanoha and she immediately turned around ready to strike.

"Friendly!" Signum shouted as she raised both hands to show that she means no harm.

Recognition showed on Nanoha's face and Signum eased up.

"Thanks for what you did back there. I think I understand it now." Nanoha acknowledged.

"Are they here?" Signum asked.

"Yes but there's no one here! Perhaps I can't pinpoint as well as you thought." Nanoha replied.

"Let's take a look around." Signum advised.

"What is there to investigate when there's nothing here? There's nothing here!" Nanoha replied with frustration.

"Fate-chan…" Nanoha cried as knelt onto the ground.

"Something must have led you here." Signum encouraged.

"Vita, how far away are you?" Signum spoke through the intercom.

"10 minutes. That's if Hayate doesn't crash again." Vita deadpanned.

"Hey, give me some credit here. I got us this far, right?!" Hayate countered.

"After this, we really need to give her some driving lessons…" Vita complained.

"You found them yet?" Vita asked.

"No, but we are looking." Signum replied.

Signum went over to Nanoha and tried to pull her up by the elbows. "Stand up, Takamachi. We got to look for anything that is out of place." Signum inspired.

"Nothing…" Nanoha called out.

"Nothing on the outside too." Signum replied after checking the surrounding of the boathouse.

Nanoha didn't know why but she kept looking at the beat up boat that was anchored in the boathouse.

"Signum, my eyes keeps going back to this boat. Is the boat supposed to be parked belly up? Is it because there's a hole on the boat?" Nanoha voiced.

"I trust your instinct. Step back. I'm going to check it." Signum advised.

Nanoha did as she was told.

When Signum lifted the boat up partially and checked it, there was nothing under the boat.

"Nothing." Nanoha announced sadly.

"I'm going to pull the boat in. Here, help me." Signum replied.

Nanoha never knew that such a small boat could weigh like a ton.

Signum observed the water for a bit and said, "Should have guessed. Takamachi, watch this."

Signum used a pipe of some sort and hit the water at different intervals then she waited.

-0-

"What are we waiting for?" Nanoha asked.

"Give it a second." Signum replied and Nanoha could see bubbles surfacing.

Two heads suddenly surfaced out of the water and they were grasping for air.

"What the…?" Nanoha yelled in surprise.

When she realised that it was Fate, she rushed over and helped her out of the water. Signum was pulling a silver hair guy out at the same time.

"Fate… Fate… Fate…" Nanoha cried over and over again as she hugged Fate.

"Nanoha… Can't… breathe…" Fate grasped.

Nanoha quickly released Fate to check for injuries.

"I'm fine, baby, I'm fine. I just hurt my ribs a little." Fate reassured.

"Are you sure?" Nanoha fussed over Fate.

Turning, Fate called out, "Signum, Zafira has been shot. Once in the shoulder and once in the thigh. Non-lethal. I patched him up as much as I could but we don't have any med kit with us."

"Already on it." Signum replied as she tended to him.

"Come here, Nano-love. I missed you." Fate called out.

Nanoha was immediately by her side but afraid to hug her as she did not want to aggravate her injured ribs.

Fate kissed her deeply.

"Somehow I just knew that you will be able to find me." Fate said to Nanoha proudly.

"You should have seen her in action! She was like a predator on a hunt. Even I couldn't keep up with her. Maximum strength, full throttle." Signum informed light-heartedly.

"Really?" Fate smile excitedly.

"I was so worried! You practically left no clues for us at all!" Nanoha protested.

"Predator huh? I would love to see you in action myself. Perhaps tonight?" Fate teased and kissed Nanoha.

Nanoha just blushed deeply and sighed, "Fate-chan…"

"Enough with the mushy stuff already. I want to go back to the motel. I almost died twice tonight." Vita voiced as she arrived.

"Where's Hayate?" Signum asked.

"Hiding." Vita replied with a straight face.

"Why?" Fate asked.

Vita just pointed outside and left without saying a word.

Once everybody got out of the boathouse, they all knew why.

Zafira just sighed.

"I'm surprised that both of you even made it here." Nanoha voiced.

Fate just laughed then she gripped her ribs and groaned. Nanoha quickly tried to tend to her.

Signum just roared, "Hayate!"

The front of the car looked like it smashed into a tree or something. The bonnet as bended up and the front bumper was lopsided. The windscreen was covered with spider web cracks. The side mirror and one of the headlights was hanging by the wire. Engine, smoking a little. The side of the vehicle was also damaged, to the point where one of the doors was not closing properly.

"It's all your fault. Because you went all berserk on us and ran off so our only driver had to follow you." Vita grumbled.

"Let's just… go…" Signum announced with resignation.

-0-

When they finally got back home, Fate was supposed to stay home to rest for a week before heading back to school. She had fractured 3 of her ribs.

Fate didn't enjoy the pain but loved everything else. Nanoha was babying her and fussing about all over her. She loved the attention.

Nanoha hoped that this was not going to be a common occurrence and warned Fate umpteen times about it. Nanoha kept grumbling about how she will not leave her sight again and will follow her on all the missions from now on.

Fate hated the idea of putting Nanoha in danger but to have the _White Devil_ by her side was reassuring. Oh yeah, Vita gave her that nickname after she saw her in action. Hayate and Signum supported and said that it fitted her to a tee.

Time alone with Nanoha was always good on Fate's book.

But on the third day, the Calvary rained down on them. Fate was getting dropped off at Hayate's to be resting up with Zafira. Vita was home taking care of the both of them and Nanoha was to attend school.

Nanoha complained about leaving Fate but was dragged off to school by Hayate.

Everyone was just glad that everybody made it home.


End file.
